The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-09-29
PIRATE BLACKBOARD.
Career of One of the Most Cruel Buc
cancers OF the Last Century.

Se-one who really did bury treas
ure. who made more than one captain
walk the plank, and who committed
more private murders than he could
number on the fingers of both hands
one who fills, and will continue to fill,
the place to which he has been assigned
for generations, and who may be de.
pended upon to hold his place in the
confidence of Others for generations to
come.
Captain Teach vas a Bristol man
born, and learned his trade on board OF
sundry privateers in the East Indies
during the old French war-that Oi
1702-and better apprenticeship could
no man serve. At last, somewhere
about the latter part of the year 1716, a
privateering captain, one Benjamin
HornigOld, raised him from the ranks
and pat him in command of a sloop-a
lately captured prize-and Blackboard 5
fortune was made. twas very slight
step, and but the change of a few let
tiers, to convert "Privateer" into Cpl
rate" and it was very short time be-
fore Teach made that change. Not
only did he make it himself. but he
persuaded his old captain TO join with
him.
And now fairly began that series of
bold and lawless depredations which
have made his name so Justly famous,
and which placed him amongst the very
greatest of NARROWING frecbooters.
'Our hero" says the old historian
who sings of the arms and bravery of
this great man-"OIr hero assumed the
cOgnomen of Blackboard from that
large quantity of hair which, like p
frightful meteor. covered his whole face
and frightened America more than any
comet that appeared there in long
time. He was accustomed to twist it
with ribbons into small tails. after the
manner of our Families wig, and turn
them about his eaIs. In time of action
he wore a sling over his shoulders. with
three brace fpistols hanging in holsters
like bandOleers; he stuck lighted
matches under his hat, which, appear
ing on each side of his face, and his
eyes naturally looking fierce and wild,
made him altogether such a figure that
imagination can not form an idea of a
Fury from hell to look more irightful."
The night before the day of the action
in which he was killed he sat up drink
ing with some congenial company until
broad daylight. One of them asked
him if his poor young wife knew where
his treasure was hidden. "No," says
Blackboard; nobody but the devil and
l know where it is, and the longest
liver shall have ALL"
For a time Blackboard worked at his
trade down on the Spanish Main,
gathering in, the few years he was
there, very neat little fortune in the
booty captured from sundry vessels;
but by and by he took it into his head
to try his luck along the coast of the
CarOlinaS; SO off he sailed to the north
ward, with quite respectable little
feet, consisting Of his own vessel and
two captured sloops. From that time
he was actively engaged in the making
of American history in his small way.
He first appeared OFF the bar of
Charleston Harbor, to the no small eX-
eitement of the worthy town of that
ilk, and there he lay for five or six
days, blockading the port and stopping
incoming and outgoing vessels at his
pleasure, so that, for the time, the
commerce of the province was entirely
paralyZed. All the vessels so stopped
he held as prizes, and all the crews and
passengers (among the latter of whom
was more than one provincial worthy
of the day. he retained as though they
were prisoners of war.
And it was nightly awkward thing
for the good folk of Charleston to be-
hold day after day a black flag with its
white skull and cross-bones fluttering
at the fore of the pirate captains craft,
over across the level stretch of green
salt-marshes; and it was nightly I'M
pleasant, too, to know that this or that
prominent citizen was crowded down
with the other prisoners under the
matches.
Becoming tired of an inactive life,
Blackbeard afterward resumed his
piratical career He cruised around |
in the rivers and inlets and sounds of
North Carolina for awhile, ruling the |
roost, and with never a one 70 say him
nay, until there was no bearing with !
such pest any longer. So they sent !
a deputatiOn up to the Governor of |
Virginia asking if he would be pleased |
to help them in their trouble.
There were two men-of-war lying at !
in the James river, at the |
time. To them the Governor of Vir- |
gina applied, and plucky Lieutenant
Maynard, of the Pearl. was sent to
Ocracoke Inlet to fight this pirate who
ruled it down there so like the cock of
a walk. There he found Blackboard
awaiting for him, and as ready for a
Eight as ever the Lieutenant himself |
could be. Fight they did. and while it
lasted it was as pretty piece of bust
ness of its kind as one could wish
to see. Blackboard drained glass
Of grog, wishing the Lieutenant luck in
getting aboard of him, fired broadside,
blew some twenty of the Lieutenant's
men out of existence, and totally Grip
'led one of his little sloops for the bal
lnce of the fight. After that, and under
over of the smoke, the pirate and his
men boarded the other sloop, and then